Lock



June 6, 1939. e A, LOFTIN ET AL 2,161,519

LOCK

Original Filed July 26, 1935 Patented June a, 1939 PATENT OFFICE I .v

Grady A. Loftin and Laurence K. Loitin, Altavista Va.', assignorsto The Lane Company,

Inc., Altavista, Va., a corporation of Virginia .Original application m 26, 1935', Serial No.-

33.365. 1937, Serial No. 143,364

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a novel latch and lock mechanism particularly adapted for use on. chests and similar articles. v

A principal purpose of the invention is to pro- 5 vide a simple and dependable combination spring latch and lock.

Another purpose of the'invention is the provision of a lock mechanism which will be worked effectively and smoothly in spite oi a substantial 10 shifting of the parts to be locked. I

A further object of the invention is the provision of a spring latch and lock having a minimum of moving parts. l

A iurther object of the invention is the pro- 15 vision of a spring latchand lock which can readily be unlatched and which indicates quicklyand definitely whether the mechanism is locked.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following 2 description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the look as seen from the front.

25 Figure 2 is a perspective of the keeper seen from its under side.

Figure 3 is a back view of the lock.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, but with the back plate removed to disclose the lock 30 mechanism, the back plate being indicated in dotted lines.

Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of the lock and keeper mounted upon the front and lid, respectively, of a chest'or other receptacle.

Figure 6 is a bottom view of the keeper. Figure 7 is a section taken on the line |'l of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a section taken onthe line 8-8 of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is an elevation of the key. Figure 10 is an enlarged schematic view of the key-operated parts of the lock, shown in unlocked position, but with the key in position to start the locking operation.

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 10, but showing the parts in locked position; and

Figure 12 is an enlarged view of the spring latch mechanism, the key-operated locking parts therefor being omitted. v 50 The lock comprises a casing embodying the conventional housing I and back plate 2, which latter is formed with an onset face plate 3 apertured at 4 to receive the latch-engaging portion of the keeper.

: Mounted within and upon the hous g I are Dh'ided and this application May 18,

the operative parts or the lock, including a sleeve 5 within which is slidably and rotatably mounted a cylinder 8 having an integral push button 1 extending outwardly andadapted'to be exposed upon the front a (Figure 5) of the chest or the like to which the lock isapplied. At its opposite end the cylinder 6 is integrally provided with a cylindrical extension having portions 8 and 8, the former of which is of greater diameter than the latter. The portion 9 of the cylindrical extension passes through and is guided in an aperture It in the back plate 2, and the shoulder ll formed by the diflerenoe in diameter of the parts 8 and 9 provides a stop for engagement with the inner face of the back plate to limit inward movement of the cylinder 6 under the influence of pressure applied to the push button 1. Outwardmovement of the cylinder is limited by the inturned flange l2 of the sleeve 5.

The cylinder 6, including its push button 1 and cylindrical extension 8-9, is slotted as indi cated at l3 to receive the key II, and is freely rotatable in the sleeve 5 under the influence of the key.

Within the housing I and suitably located adjacent to the cylindrical extension 8--8 of the cylinder 6 is a trip member II pivoted upon a stud l6 secured to the back plate and the housing l and supported in proper rotating alignment by a bearing stud l6'.carried by the housing 1. The trip member I5 is normally forced toward the cylindrical extension 9 by means of a spring I! which bears against the side wall of the housing I.

In sliding contact with the trip member I! is a locking plate It mounted for vertical sliding movement upon the pin it and upon a short stud I! carried by the back plate, the locking plate It being slotted as indicated at 20 and 2! to provide guide faces for engagement with the studs l6 and I9.

The locking plate It is provided with a notch 22 by means of which vertical sliding movement may be imparted to it by the key I4, and it has an ofl'standing locking lug 23 of such length as to bear against the inner surface of the housing I. It is also provided with an ofl'standing and rearwardly projecting finger 24 adapted to be engaged by a detent 25 of the trip member l5. whereby the locking plate l8 may be held in either unlocked or locked position. Moreover, the finger 24 provides a stop for limiting movement of the trip member under the influence of spring I I.

Referring particularly to Figures 9, 10-and 11, .it will beseen that the operative end of the key 55' I3 is providedwith two wards 23 and 21, respectively, the ward 23 operating upon a greater radius than the ward 21. The ward 23 engages in the notch 22 to move the locking plate l3 either up or down, and the ward 21 engages the arcuate face 23 and edge 23' of the tongue I! of the trip member I! to oscillate the same upon its pivot l3 against the influence of spring I! to thereby release the detent 25 from engagement with the finger 23, substantially as illustrated in Figure 10, so that the finger 23 may slide past the detent 23 either upwardly or downwardly from unlocked to locked position or vice versa.

As illustrated in Figure 11, wherein the parts are shown in locked position, it will be seen that the locking lug 23 has been moved to such a position that it overlies the circumferential edge of the end of the cylinder 3, and hence prevents the cylinder 3 from being pushed inwardly under the influence of the push button 1. When the parts are in the position illustrated in Figure 10, in which the locking lug 23 is out of alignment with the end of the cylinder 3, the cylindermay be pushed inwardly under the influence of the push button I.

The latch member comprises an arm 23 which is preferably a channel section and is pivoted substantially midway of its length upon a pin 30 which passes through the side flange portions of the arm at a point offset from the web thereof, the pin 33 being supported in brackets 3| riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the housingl and back plate 2. One end of thearm constitutes a lever 32 which lies adjacent to the cylindrical extension 3-3 of the cylinder 3 and overlies the inner exposed face or end of the cylinder 6.

The other end of the arm 23 is provided with a hook 33 which, in the embodiment shown, is

formed by the side fiange portions of the arms.

The hook 33 is arranged to underlie the aperture 3 in the face plate 3, and the arm is normally held in such position, and with its lever end 32 in engagement with the end of cylinder 6, by a spring 33, one end 35 of which bears against the lever 32 and the other end 36 'of which bears against the back plate 2. The upper face of the hook 33 is so shaped as to impart camming action to the latch member upon its pivot when the latch-engaging member or portion of the keeper is inserted through the aperture 3, thus permitting the latch-engaging member to pass the hook 33 and enter the lock to such an extent that it may be engaged by the hook. The lower surface of the hook 33 is shaped so that the point of the hook is closer to the pivot than the throat. Due

to the fact that the pivot for the arm 23 is offset from the web portion as described and is disposed in the line of tension between the keepr and hook, th arm 23 is caused to assume a position at an acute angle to the line of tension passing through the pivot 33 and the point of engagement between the roller and hook when the parts are in latching position.

v In order to provide for smooth and positive operation of the lock, the keeper comprises a yoke 31 floatingly or shiftably mounted between a recessed plate 33 and a cap plate 33 which provide a means for ready attachment of the keeper to the lid b (Figure or other appropriate part of a chest or the like, the plate 33 being provided with an aperture 30 of greater dimensions than those of the yoke 31 to accommodate the yoke in its shifting movement, and the yoke having a base 3| arranged between the plates 33 and 33 and of such dimensions as to prevent its escape through the aperture 33, while at the same time permitting it to float or shift laterally to a limited extent between the plates. The floating mounting of the yoke provides for direct and straight engagement of the keeper and the latch, without any strain or binding, even when the parts of the chest or the like have become displaced. Yoke 31 is also advantageously provided at its'engaging end with a taper on all sides, as shown, so that it will readily find the aperture in the keeper plate 3 even though the door or lid of the chest or the like has become displaced from its original position with respect to the rest of the chest. When the lock is engaged, however, the untaperd portion of the yoke completely fills the aperture 3 thus preventing access of metal-corroding vapors, such as cedar oil vapors, into the interior of the lock.

The yoke 31 is provided with a roller 32 freely rotatable upon a pin 33, and this roller forms the latch-engaging member of the keeper and functions to eflect its smooth and easy engagement from the latch member of the lock. Also, due to its capability for rotation, it tends to greatly reduce the wear of the parts.

As an easy means for securing the plates 33 and 33 together, with the base 3| of the yoke between them, parts 33 and 33 thereof, respectively, are formed to provide'suitable screw holes 33, and these parts may be so interengaged, as illustrated in Figure 8, as to form an inseparable connection, the parts 33 of the plate 33 being expanded within the complemental parts 33 of the plate 33.

It will be noted, particularly by reference to Figures 2, 5 and 8, that the opening 31 of the yoke in which the roller 32 is mounted is of greater depth at one side than at the other. This determines the proper position of the-keeper with respect to the lock, it being obvious from an inspection of Figure 5 that if the keeper is not so arranged with respect to the lock that that side of the opening 31 of greatest depth is toward the front of the lock, the hook 33 of the latch member will not enter the keeper to properly engage the roller 32.

Obviously, no matter whether the key-operated parts of the lock are in locked or unlocked podtion, the keeper may be engaged with the lock simply by pushing its latch-engaging roller 32 into the aperture 3 and into engagement with the under surface of the hook 33, for the reason that inasmuch as the hook 33 is held below the aperture 3 merely by the action of its spring 33, it, may be cammed out of the way by the entering movement of the roller 32. However, after the hook 33 of the latch member has been engaged with the roller 32 of the keeper, it can be disengaged therefrom only by inward pressure upon the push button I, whereby the cylinder 3 will operate upon the lever end 32 of the arm 23 to oscillate the latch member upon its pivot 33, as illustrated in Figure 12. Hence, if the key-operated parts are in locked position, as illustrated in Figure 11, when the hook 33 of the latch member is engaged with the latch-engaging roller 32 of the keeper, the push button I cannot be pressed inwardly because of the obstruction furnished by the locking lug 23, and therefore the hook 33 cannot be disengaged from the roller 32. With the key-operated parts in unlocked position, as illustrated in Figure 4, however, free operation of the latch member by means of the push button I is possible. In the former case the device operates as a lock, whereas in the latter case it operthe parts being under tension occasioned by the resilient sealing means between the lid and chest,

is prevented by reason of the contour of the under surface of the hook it and the fact that I the tipof the hook, due to the angular position 'of the arm 20, is closer to the pivot than the point of engagement between the hook and roller. Thus the retracting, force on the keeper instead of causing the roller to roll oif of the latch actually tends to cause the same to move into -cloaer engagement with the throat of the hook.

It will be seen that the invention providesa spring latch and lock particularly adapted for use on chests and the like and especially chests embodying cedar oil emanating material which have resilient sealing means between the body of the container of theclosure thereof, whereby the escape of cedar oil aroma is prevented; the latch and lock of the present invention being readily operable against the pressure of such resilient sealing means and being adapted to effectively prevent the penetration of cedar aroma into the interior of the look when the chest or other container is closed.

This application is a division of our application Serial No. 33.885, iiled July 26, 1986.

We claim:

1. In a lock having a casing with an opening therein and a keeper memberhaving a latch eneasing roller adaptedto' penetrate said casing through said opening. the combination of a roller engageable latch member comprising an arm pivotally mounted intermediate the ends thereof within said casing, said latch memberhavlns a hook portion on one end thereof adapted to swing in an arc intersecting the path of the roller of said keeper in said casing for engaging said roller to latch the same against withdrawal from the casing, the end of said arm on the other side of said pivot, constituting a lever arm, means extending through the wall of said casing for engagin said lever arm to move said hook from latching position, the pivot point of said latch arm being disposed in the line of tension between said hook and keeper and offset from the longitudinal axis of said arm to dispose the latter at an acute angle to the line of tension between hook and keeper when in latching position, whereby the point of the roller engaging hook of said latch member is disposed with the point thereof closerto the pivot than the throat there; of when the parts are in latching position to effect further engagementof said roller with said latch when the parts are under tension due to a retracting force on said keeper,

2. In a lock having a casing with an opening therein and a keeper member having a latch engaging roller adapted to penetrate said casing through said opening, the combination of a roller engageable latch member comprising an arm pivotally mounted'within said casing having a hook at one end adapted to swing'in a path intersecting the path of said latch engaging roller for engaging said roller to latch the same against withdrawal from the casing, the pivot for said latch arm being disposed in the line of tension between the keeper and hook and offset from the longitudinal axis of said arm to dispose the latter at an acute angle to the line of tension between hook and keeper when the parts are in latching position, whereby said hook is disposed with the tip thereof closer to the pivot than the point of engagement of the roller with said hook when the parts arein latching position. 3. In a lock having a casing with an'openlng therein and a keeper memberhaving a latch engaging roller adapted to penetrate said casing through said opening, the combination'of a rollerengageable latch member comprising an am having a hook portion formed at one end thereof. said latch member being pivotally mounted in said casing, the pivot forsaid arm being disposed in the line of tension between latch and keeper and offset from the longitudinal axis of said arm whereby said hook swings in an are passing through the path of said keeper in the casing to a latching position wherein the arm is disposed at an angle to the line of tension between hook and keeper and the point of the hook is closer to the pivot of the latch member than the throat portion or the point of engagement of the roller with said hook portion, whereby to retain the roller from accidental disengagement from said latch due to a retracting force on said keeper.

4. In a lock having a casing with an opening therein and a keeper member having a latch engaging roller adapted to penetrate said casing through said opening, the combination of a roller engageable latch member comprising an arm having a hook formed at one end thereof, said latch member being pivotally mounted within the casing with the hook disposed across the path of movement of the keeper into the casing and with the point of the hook closer to the pivot than the throat portion thereof, the pivot for said latch member being in alinement with the point of engagement of said keeper with said hook in the direction of disengagement of the keeper from the casing, whereby to retain the latch from disengaging the keeper due to a retracting force on the keeper.

5. In a lock having a casing with an opening therein and a keeper member having a latch engaging roller adapted to penetrate said casing through said opening, the combination of a roller engageable latch member comprising an arm pivoted intermediate its ends within said casing and having a hook portion at one end thereof adapted to swing in an arc intersecting the path of said latch engaging roller, the pivot point of said arm being disposed in the line of tension between latch and keeper, said hook being formed to provide a roller engaging under surface in which the tip of the hook is closer to the pivot than the throat thereof and the pivot of said arm being positioned to dispose said arm at an acute angle to the direction of disengagement of said roller and hook from latching position whereby to retain said roller and hook from accidental disengagement when the parts are under tension due to a retracting force on said keeper.

6. In a lock particularly adapted for use on a container embodying cedar oil emanating material and having a hinged lid with resilient sealing means between the lid and body of the container, said lock having a casing and a keeper member including a latch engaging roller adapted to penetrate said casing through said opening, the combination of a latch member pivotally-mounted in said casing having a keeper engaging hook portion at one end thereof, the pivot for said latch member being disposed intermediate the ends thereof and in the line of tension between said hook and keeper," said latch member and hook being formed in relation to said pivot to 4. mnldemetmen letotheuneotbennon betweenhookendkeeperendtodhpoeemdhook vim the upthereol cloeertoaldpfivot thanthe throet thereof when in letchln: position, and meeneextendlnlthrowhthewellofeddcednz for engagement withuldotherendoteddletch membertoretncteeldhooktromletchln pollflon.

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through laid openlnl. the combination ofa. roller enuleeble latch member plvotelly mounted in we cum: hevin: ehook portion at one endthereo! adapted tomovelnepathinteraectlitlon. 

